


Sliced Apple

by Diary



Series: Where the Apple Falls [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Aunt-Niece Relationship, Bechdel Test Pass, Canon Character of Color, Conversations, Disturbing Themes, Families of Choice, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Gen, Kate Argent-centric, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, POV Female Character, POV Kate Argent, Pack Family, Pregnancy, Pregnant Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 21:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Repost. “You know, when you said there was a problem with Allison, this wasn’t what I had in mind. Would you rather her seventeen-year-old boyfriend live with you?” Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sliced Apple

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf.

She enters the backroom of the veterinary clinic.

“Miss Argent,” Deaton greets.

“Are you officially the Hale emissary, again?”

“I’m always here if they should need me.”

“Does helping them kidnap and drug humans fall under that?”

“Of course not. However, omegas and other supernatural creatures are a different matter.”

“Don’t give me that,” she warns. “You know me better than anyone. Besides Gerard, you always have.”

He smiles. “I’m not sure I do anymore. The Hale pack still stands.”

“None of them knew better. You did. Hell, you once implied everyone would be better off if I were dead.”

“‘None of them knew better’,” he repeats. “Would you like to explain that statement?”

“Hale became emotionally attached when he was a kid and hasn’t outgrown it. Having Allison around probably didn’t help. The rest were kids following orders. But you know the hunter code. You understand why it’s so important.”

“I understand why many hunters consider it so,” he corrects. “And I also know how fast and loose you’ve played with the code in the past.”

“And is this what made you think that you had the right, doc?”

“No. I like Derek. He’s a good boy. I believe he’ll be a good man and alpha one day. He’s also rather smart. He came to me about solitary creature, not a human. I advised him to give her a peaceful death and return her body to her family. He politely informed me he would do everything short of killing her to keep her contained, and any deaths of innocent humans or his pack would be on my hands.”

“I didn’t particularly agree with this,” he finishes, “but I still made the decision to help him.”

“Screw you,” she mutters.

...

_Let her go, Gerard._

Waking up, Kate mutters, “Dammit.”

She checks her phone and sees another message from Allison. Rolling her eyes, she deletes it and calls.

“Kate!”

“Hey, kiddo,” she greets. “I do have to sleep, you know.”

“I know. But you’re okay? You’re still coming for my birthday?”

“Of course, honey,” she answers. “And I’m going to give you a wildly inappropriate gift that makes your parents really regret ever letting me know you were born and when. How are you doing, kid? Still in lockdown?”

“Not exactly."

“What’s going on, baby girl?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure-”

“C’mon, Allison,” she interrupts. “You’ve never lied to me. Don’t start now. If this is about what you and Derek did, I’m never going to be happy about it, but you’re my favourite niece. I could never stay mad at you.”

“What about Derek?”

“Technically, he stayed within the code. As long as he keeps in it, I’ll leave him alone. Now, enough about him. What’s going on with you?”

“Do you think you and Mom and Dad will ever trust me again?”

“Who said I didn’t trust you, baby girl?”

“After what I did-”

“Just because I’m not happy about it doesn’t mean you betrayed my trust, sweetheart. You and I never talked about me being bitten, and when I was, you did what you believed was right. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done something similar,” she admits. “Okay, sweetheart? You and I are good.”

Allison sighs. “Thank you, Aunt Kate.”

“No problem. As for your parents, just don’t lie to them anymore, keep being a great kid, and maybe sprinkle on a little bit more emotional manipulation. It may take some time, but I promise you, you can earn back their trust if you work at it.”

“Got it.”

“Now, let’s talk about Scott. Will he be there for your birthday?”

…

After Allison’s birthday, she packs up and goes to France.

In a bar, once she’s established an old omega isn’t a threat, she asks, “Do you know anything about Gerard Argent?”

Wincing, the omega looks at her suspiciously.

She keeps her hands on the table. “He was my father. He died when I was still pretty young.”

Shaking his head, the omega says, “He didn’t die here.”

“Yeah, I know that. I was there when he died. I’m just trying to figure out more about when he was alive. He wasn’t the most demonstrative, supportive father around.”

“He was a hypocrite.”

“That’s what my brother says.”

“But you don’t believe it.”

“I don’t disbelieve it. It’s just, I was raised to always say what I meant and to mean what I say. Sure, I was also taught to lie, but I never lied to him. For a long time, I thought- I never saw signs of hypocrisy in him. I guess I just want to know who it is I’m really mourning.”

The omega sighs.

“Look, if you aren’t going to tell me, just say so. As long as you stop eating human livers, I’ll leave you in peace.”

“They’re more nutritious.”

“Yeah, and grave-robbing is a good way to cause trauma and lot of questions in humans,” she retorts. “Either find another pack, or stick to feral cows.”

“Hunters killed my pack.”

“Your alpha was a rapist, and the rest of your pack killed several hunters in an effort to protect him. If you expect me to feel sympathy, you’re out of luck.”

“Your father wasn’t known for his,” he replies. “Take what I tell you with a grain. It’s only what I heard. I don’t claim it’s true.”

“I understand.”

“There were rumours he was sick. He was dying, and he was looking for an alpha to bite him.”

Leaning back, she remembers him brushing off her questions of why he was suddenly taking medicine with, “I’m not as young as I used to be, sweetheart. These are to keep my blood pressure and heart in check.”

“Thanks." Putting some money down on the table, she repeats, “No more human livers.”

 …

She works odd jobs, kills the occasional threat, and discreetly asks questions.

One day, she gets a call from Chris.

“Doesn’t it strike you as inappropriate for Allison to live with her seventeen-year-old boyfriend and his mother?”

“You know, when you said there was a problem with Allison, this wasn’t what I had in mind. Would you rather her seventeen-year-old boyfriend live with you?”

“Take this seriously, Kate,” he orders.

“Okay, seriously? I don’t know whether this is serious or puppy love between them, but look at both of us, Chris. You were a damn mess before you met Victoria. And me? The longest I’ve ever been exclusive with someone was 28 days. If it had been February, I could say a month, but actually, it happened in May.”

“Allison hated all the moving around. She’s never had true stability. So, now that she’s eighteen and has found a sweet, cute boy, she’s trying to see if it can be serious. If it can, you can either accept it or lose any place you have in her life. If it turns out to be a mistake, you and Victoria will help her fix it. Or if you don’t, I will, and you might lose any place you have in her life.”

He sighs. “You’re right.”

“It’s been known to happen.”

…

One night, she’s stumbling around and trying to keep from coughing when she hears, “You’re an Argent.”

Looking over, she sees an officer standing in the alley.

“I’m American. I refuse to answer on the grounds I might incriminate myself.”

The officer gives her an exasperated look. “That only works if you’re actually in America.”

She shrugs.

“And you just pulled an omega out of a fire. A hunter saving a werewolf’s life.”

“I didn’t know it was a werewolf at the time.”

“You shot arrows into the ambulance and squad car tires, loaded yourself with wolfs bane, and went into a burning house. You had a pretty good idea there was a werecreature inside.”

“And you knew there was, but you still led humans to the burning house,” she challenges.

“I had wolfs bane, too.”

“What are you?”

“Banshee,” the officer answers. “You were meant to be dead by now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father was meant to outlive you. But something changed, and now-” She pauses for a long moment. “The dreams you had when you were first pregnant came because you needed to know what kind of father yours was. But the memory would never fully come. It was manipulated.”

“Could you try to be a little less cryptic?”

“An alpha has been inside your head. Your brain via claws to your neck, specifically. It has to do with your father.”

“Do you know who?”

“No,” is the answer. “I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll give you a ride to your hotel, but I can’t help you further.”

Realising how badly she needs a shower, she hopes she isn’t walking into a trap. “That’d be great. Thanks.”

…

When she gets back to Beacon Hills, her first stop is the vet’s.

“Did you deliberately wait until closing time,” Deaton inquires.

“Yes. I don’t want Allison to know I’m in town just yet.”

“How can I help you?”

“I met a banshee who said an alpha stole a memory from me. Is there any way to find out if she’s telling the truth?”

He finishes locking up the medicine cabinet. “Can you give me anymore information?”

“She said it had to do with Gerard.”

He sighs. “I half-hoped this day would never come.”

“Why am I not surprised you know even more than anyone could guess?”

“Soon after Gerard died, Talia came to me. She told me that she’d taken certain parts of what happened from you.”

_She killed Dad, Chris._

_I believe her claim of self-defence._

“Why would she do this?”

There’s no point in asking why Chris might have lied to her.

“She wouldn’t tell me.”

“Oh, well, that’s great. Is there any way to get the memory back?”

“Not easily.”

“I take down literal monsters for a living,” she reminds him. “Something being hard isn’t going to dissuade me.”

“After death, an alpha’s claws still contain some of their essence. I don’t know for sure that it would work, but there’s a possibility inserting the claws into your neck might be able to let you communicate with her.”

She has no idea where Talia is buried. She might be able to find out and remove the body without being caught, but beyond this, she has no idea what to do.

“I suggest you go to Patterson’s bakery,” Deaton continues. “Erica works there.”

She starts to walk out, and he says, “Miss Argent. I’m a bit worried about how calmly you’re taking this.”

Rolling her eyes, she turns back around. “My whole life is a joke. Psychopathic father, distant big brother, and a shrew of a sister-in-law. I’m a killer. I’ve been turned into a werewolf, turned back into a human, and held hostage by a former student between the two. Apparently, said student was depressed and had suicidal inclinations, and his mother thought him being around me, of all people, would help. Never mind that it did. And now, I find out that said student’s mother stole a memory that might have involved my father’s death from me.”

“But I know that this isn’t even the punchline,” she finishes. “When it gets here, I’ll decide whether I’m going to laugh or try to set the whole world on fire.”

 …

At the bakery, she asks the kid behind the counter, “Is Erica Reyes working right now?”

“She just got off shift, but I’ll see if she’s still here,” the girl answers.

Before she can move, however, Erica appears with a tray full of wolf-shaped sweets. “Hi, Miss Argent. Want to sit down and be my guinea pig?”

They sit down, and she comments, “Now that I think about it, given what you are, I’m not sure what to think of your choice of design, sweetie.”

Erica gives her a confused look. “People eat people-shaped desserts. Wouldn’t it be more worrying if I made them and encouraged people to eat them, given what I am?”

“You know what? I’m giving the point to you and moving the hell on before this gets any more disturbing." Taking a breath, she says, “So, here’s the deal, kiddo: I need to see Derek. Could you call him and ask him to come down?”

“Why don’t you call him or go to the house,” Erica asks.

“The last time I was at his house, my niece tazered me, and I ended up drugged and chained up in an abandon subway station.”

She doesn’t launch into another rant about how bizarre the town’s layout is. With an abandoned distillery in the forest, an abandoned mall on the off skirts of town, a subway station seeming to go nowhere and no one apparently remembers ever using, and who knows what else, she’s simply given up.

“I’ll call him,” Erica says.

…

Derek looks at her with a soft, tentative expression, and she blurts out, “Your mom stole a memory from me, and I want it back.”

Probably should have tried to ease that, she realises.

“Sit,” she orders.

When he does, she follows suit. “Okay, I’m going to start over. I met a banshee who told me an alpha stole a memory involving Gerard from me. Deaton told me Talia had admitted to doing it. He also told me her claws might be able to help me get it back.”

“Gerard,” he repeats. “I need to tell you something about him.”

“You can tell me whatever you want after I get my memory back.”

“It’s dangerous,” he warns.

“Hale, you need to get it through your head that I live a dangerous life. If I can’t protect myself, I die. If I can, I don’t. I like it that way.”

“Okay."

…

At the Hale house, Isaac looks at the claws in trepidation. “How does this even work?”

“Derek embeds them into the pads of his fingers and sticks them in her neck,” Boyd supplies.

“How painful will this be for him and how dangerous for her?”

“Very,” Boyd answers. “On both accounts.”

“Sweetie, you’re not helping,” Kate tells Boyd. “Go find Erica. Isaac, catch.”

She tosses her cell phone. “If any of my family calls, it’s up to you to make sure they don’t find out what’s going on. Think you can handle that, kid?”

Nodding, he stares determinedly at the phone as if half challenging it to ring.

Derek shifts. “If this doesn’t work, I’m going to lie to Allison.”

“Good,” she agrees. “How do I position my neck?”

She hears the sound of the claws going into his flesh, and then, feels one hand resting on her head. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

…

She finds herself looking at a familiar tree stump.

A red-eyed wolf appears, and she waits.

When Talia resumes human form, Kate offers her jacket.

“Thank you,” Talia says. “How are my children?”

“The only Hale I’m truly on speaking terms with is Derek, and recently, we’ve had a bit of a disagreement.”

“Yet, he still agreed to help with this.”

“What memory did you take?”

“I’ll give it back,” Talia answers, “in exchange for a favour.”

“What?”

…

At the tree stump, Gerard held a sleeping Allison cradled in one arm and a knife close to her throat in the other hand.

Kate took a shaky breath, quickly wiped away her tears, and aimed her gun. “Let her go, Dad.”

“You won’t shoot me, Katie.”

“Yes, I will.”

“If you do, we’ll both die.”

“How can you do this?” She took another breath to keep her hands from shaking.

“She’s the only virgin in this family, sweetheart,” he answered. “Her blood will give the nemeton power, and in exchange, it’ll heal me.”

“Not if I kill you, first.”

“If you do, she’ll still die.”

The shot rang out into the air, and Kate rushed over to pry Allison from his arm. She hit his face with her elbow, ran to the car, locked the doors, and gave a choking sob when she saw Allison was still breathing and had no wounds on her.

She’d barely gotten the car in reverse when she heard a tire hissing. Opening the door, she shot Gerard in both legs, grabbed Allison, and ran as fast as she could.

When she came across a big house, she kicked open the door.

There was a preteen girl sitting on the couch, and her eyes flashed yellow.

“Figures,” Kate muttered. “Listen, sweetie, a hunter is after me and my niece. Do you understand?”

Producing claws and fangs, the girl rushed over to stand guard at the door.

“Is there a phone here?”

The girl pointed.

“Okay. I’m going to put my niece on the couch. Protect her for me, okay?”

The girl nodded.

“Hello?”

“Chris, Gerard’s either crazy or possessed. He just tried to kill Allison.”

“Kate? What- Is Allison alright?”

“She’s fine. I think he drugged her, but her breathing is steady, and I got her away before he could hurt her.”

“Where are you?”

“Beacon Hills. I broke into what I think is the Hale house.”

“Just- stay with Allison until I get there. And remember, we go by the code.”

Rolling her eyes, she snapped, “Got it.”

Hanging up, she poured wolfs bane around the couch and hoped Allison stayed asleep.

The girl grabbed her wrist when she tried to step out, and Kate barely managed to restrain herself from shooting her. “I’ll be fine. I need to go make sure my dad is okay. Watch out for my niece,” she ordered.

Running back to the nemeton, she shot on instinct when she saw Peter Hale leaning over Gerard. The bullet didn’t embed, but it did graze him.

“Help me, Kate,” Gerard ordered, and she rushed over.

“Let her go, Gerard,” a female voice ordered, and she realised he had a knife against her throat. “How can you do this to your own child?”

“Blood is blood,” he said. “She’s not a virgin by any means, but I suppose we’ll just have to hope she’ll do.”

“Daddy,” she found herself saying, “what are you doing?”

“Surviving, sweetheart,” he answered. “I’d sacrifice all of you, if I had to.”

“Gerard, if you let her go, I’ll give you the bite."

“I’m not a fool, Talia. Once she’s out of harm’s way, you’ll destroy me.”

“No,” Kate said, “she won’t.”

The knife against her neck made a small cut as it dropped.

Shakily, she stood up and looked down as Gerard took his last breath.

…

Talia and Peter looked at her while she stared down at Gerald.

“We have to find the child,” Peter said.

“She’s safe." Walking over, Talia put Kate over her shoulder. “I can smell Laura on her. That means she dropped the little girl off at home.”

“So, she broke into our house, she just killed her father, who, by the way, has hunted us for years, and now, we’re taking her back to where the little ones are sleeping?”

“Yes,” Talia answered. “There’s been enough blood tonight.”

…

“She put wolfs bane around our couch.”

“Peter.” She moved a chair close to the wolfs bane and sat Kate down in it. “I don’t like this, either, but she’s human. She’s just lost her father, in more ways than one.”

“And that wipes the past clean?”

“No, but it does give us a chance to not repeat it. Get the broom and dustpan.”

“Mark my words, she will always be a bloodthirsty, remorseless-”

A little boy wandered in with a cup in his hands. “Mama, why’s it smell like blood?”

Peter quickly picked him up and carried him away.

…

She slept as Talia and Peter continued to talk.

“Frankly, I don’t think she’s emotionally stable enough to handle what happened,” Talia said.

“And so you’ll take the blame?”

“I don’t know. If I’m careful, I can take just enough to make it easier for her mind to create its own version of what happened.”

“As you just said, her mental stability is questionable. She could create a far worse scenario.”

Talia sighed. “She’s so strong, and unlike her father, she’s firm in her convictions. They may be wrong, but- she has so much potential.”

“I’m not arguing that. But potential to do what?”

“I don’t know, but I can see something special in her. If this is a mistake-”

Trailing off, she stuck her claws into the neck.

…

Blinking, Kate feels the memory of what happened with what her mind created blending.

She’d woken up in Chris’s house. No Hales had been in sight when she put Allison on the couch. Gerard had come into the house, and a wolf had attacked him. She’d tried to protect him, but the wolf had killed him. That’s how she’d gotten the scratches on her neck and throat.

Taking a breath, she nods.

“Kate,” Derek says.

Realising she’s crying, she shakes her head and brings her fingers to the claw marks. “Your mom didn’t kill Gerard,” she says.

Isaac puts his hand on her forehead.

“I-” Derek starts.

“I did.”

“You- Kate, you didn’t-”

“Yeah, I did. He was going to kill Allison, and I brought her here. I should have stayed, but I didn’t. I just couldn’t let him be hurt. And then, the son of a bitch held a knife to my throat, and for reasons I’ll probably never understand, your mom tried to talk him down. But I’m daddy’s little girl, and of course, I had a knife in my pocket. I always had more of an affinity for guns and Tasers, but I forgot I used to carry a knife all the time.”

“I’m going to go get her some- I don’t, I’m just going to give you two some privacy,” Isaac says.

Once he’s gone, Derek says, “Gerard isn’t dead.”

She looks up in confusion. “I saw him die.”

“The night you were bitten, he broke your arm. After Allison and I- he appeared. He helped find the alpha that bit you.”

Seeing he’s serious, she stands up and smacks him on the forehead. “Be glad I don’t have my Taser. Where did you last see him?”

“Here,” he answers. “I’ve been watching Allison closely, to make sure he doesn’t come near her.”

Her father is alive.

All she feels is numbness.

“I’m guessing he isn’t human.”

“No, he’s not. But I don’t know what he is. He’s not a werewolf.”

Sitting back down, she sighs. “There’s something I need to tell you. A few people know, but there’s only one other person I’ve actually told.”

Sitting down, he looks at her with interest.

…

“I’m-”

“You know my policy on generalised apologises.”

“You gave me one when we were investigating my mom and Laura’s death and Allison showed up,” he counters. “Whether saying it helps or not, I am sorry.”

“Speaking of Allison, I’m trusting you to look after her.”

He nods. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to tell Chris about dear old dad reappearing as a supernatural creature, and then,” she puts her hands on her stomach, “I’m going to hope like hell I can manage to avoid screwing up my kid the way he’s still screwing up me and Chris.”

“How far along?”

“Somewhere along three months.”

He looks down.

“Hale,” she warns.

“Do you know the sex?”

“No, but if you do, I’d appreciate knowing. I don’t believe in all that pink for girls and blue for boys crap, but that’s one thing my family was into. My nursery was cotton-candy pink. If I’m having a girl, I need to make sure nothing even vaguely pinkish is around until she’s old enough to decide for herself if she actually likes the colour or not.”

“Better start, now,” he says.

Breathing in, she looks down at her stomach. Briefly, she wonders if he knew what the other was but quickly puts the thought out of her mind.

Looking up, she tells him, “I need to know I can trust you. You and I are never going to agree on what you did, and there’s always a possibility another alpha will bite me. But I’m not going to worry about that right now. Allison can take care of herself, but this baby- if something were to happen to me, I don’t want Chris and Victoria raising her. They’re a hell of a lot better than Gerard and my mom could ever be, but- I’m not asking you to raise her. I am asking that you find her a good home and keep an eye on her.”

“Are you planning on something happening to you?”

Sighing, she reaches over to squeeze his hand. “Hey, I’m fine. I’m healthy, and aside from some unpleasant dreams, my emotional state is good. I know Allison will try, but she’s an eighteen-year-old only child who’s spent her whole life yearning for stability, and throwing a dependent kid in the mix-” She shakes her head. “Can I trust you to look out for my girls?”

He nods. “I promise.”

Leaning over, she kisses his cheek. “Thank you.”

…

“Boarding call for…”

Kate looks down at her ticket. Standing up and placing her hand on her stomach, she says, “Come on, sweetie pie. Time for us to get going."


End file.
